Historic Florida

Black Caesar is an elusive character, a pirate of some renown who roamed the Florida Keys, or so goes the legend. We explore his lair, and so can you!

This state park is more natural than it has been for decades. Enjoy the terrific beach and tropical hammock, tour the historic lighthouse, dine at restaurants with great views and walk or bike trails.

No doubt about it: Key West is expensive. But despite its small size, Key West is packed with things to do and see — and some are even free. Here are a half dozen places to go where you’ll soak up Key West culture without opening your wallet.

The island of Palm Beach is the exclusive winter home of billionaires. For the rest of us, it’s a fun place to gawk at mansions and their ficus hedges sculpted into works of art. The town is full of history, too, from Henry Flagler to JFK to Donald Trump.

Deering Estate is a serene spot in South Dade offering sweeping views of Biscayne Bay, a fascinating tour of a castle-like home and boat tours of Biscayne National Park.

One of Florida’s least accessible historic sites, Fort Gadsden, also known as “The Negro Fort”, is a tale of war — and the deadliest cannonball in American history.

Florida’s wackiness goes back to its first settlers, and Koreshan State Historic Site celebrates one of our earliest eccentrics. Thanks to this cult leader, though, a lovely wooded site on the Estero River was preserved through the years for us to enjoy.

The west side of the Indian River Lagoon has an Old Florida flavor — especially the scenic 20-mile drive between Stuart and Fort Pierce. The region has enough places to explore to make a great getaway.

As you plan your Florida travels, here are seven towns that I’ve found make great bases for exploring. Each puts you in the center of outstanding places to hike, bike, kayak and explore history. Each is surrounded by natural beauty.

Few places offer both so much history and such beauty as Florida’s 30 lighthouses. No traveler will see them all on one trip, but even one lighthouse visit can give you a memorable experience. About 10 Florida lighthouses are open to visitors on a regular basis. We offer ideas for a lighthouse roadtrip and information on endangered lighthouses that are up for grabs.

Like a lot of visitors, for years I had overlooked Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park on my visits to Key West because it is tucked away out of sight. But the historic fort and great beach are worth discovering.